Fetal lithium effects

Definition:Cardiac anomaly (see below) and possible goiter due to maternal ingestion of lithium for manic-depressive disorder.

Synonyms: None.

Incidence:Very rare

Etiology: Maternal exposure to lithium. A report in the 1970 associated the maternal use of lithium with Ebstein anomaly (with a 400% risk factor)[1],[2],[3]. More recent data have not supported this finding[4],[5],[6]. The final answer is probably that there might be a very small increase, but that it is infrequent enough that it should not be the cause for discontinuing treatment.

Recurrence risk: None.

Diagnosis: Aside from the exceptional Ebstein anomaly, goiter and polyhydramnios[7] and oromandibular-limb hypogenesis[8] or even stillbirth[9] have been reported.